Heavy metal rules in the Centre

With a bill including three interstate acts and a host of local metal bands, Blacken the Globe certainly shook out some cobwebs over the weekend.

Organised by local metal collective, The Black Wreath, the festival was held on Saturday at the Alice Springs RSL and streamed around the world via a multicam video set up.

Several hundred music fans attended to hear metal acts including Melbourne's King Parrot, Perth's Blunt Force Trauma and the return of highly successful local band, NoKTuRNL.

Formed in 1996, NoKTuRNL achieved international recognition, supporting the likes of Spiderbait, Powderfinger and Regurgitator, before parting ways.

Vocalist Craig Tilmouth says that after a long absence, he and fellow band member Damien [Armstrong] are back in the recording studio.

"We've grown apart and grown up and done a lot of things and now here we are...our lives have gravitated towards each other," he says.

Fans showed their appreciation at the event and Craig says he was surprised to get such a great reaction.

"We never knew we had that many!" he says.

"[But] I think most of these fans are kind of a younger generation from when we started here."

Of the current resurgence of heavy metal in Alice Springs, Craig says it's all about the passion.

"I think those that are really dedicated to the form of music that they love are always true to it and that's what I've always been."

"People tell me not to wear metal shirts anymore but I'm still gonna do it!"

"There's more than a resurgence," says music fan Bryce Lillico.

"There's a lot of bands, a lot of jamming, a lot of playing...they're all coming up with products and it's world class."

"Miazma...I heard their new one, it is just brilliant, good enough for the world market."

Part of The Black Wreath, Miazma have just launched their first album, they have a national tour coming up and a top twenty ranking on Itunes.

Frontman Jackson Smith couldn't be happier.

"There's a couple of bands in Australia that are in the Top 100 [metal albums] but there's a lot of European and a lot of American acts in this genre and we've managed to sneak an Alice Springs band up in the Top 20, it's unreal."

Miazma was also a favourite for Melbourne's King Parrot, who included the festival in their national tour.

Vocalist Matt Young says he was surprised at the strength of the metal scene in Alice Springs

"There's certainly a scene [here], the bands have all been really high quality...everyone just seems really enthused about metal, it's great," he says.

"Hopefully some of the bands from Alice Springs can get out of here, like NoKTuRNL have, and that's a really great, positive thing."

In another coup for organisers, the event was hosted by Lochlan Watt of Triple J's metal show The Racket.

Lochlan says he's impressed by the work of The Black Wreath, who are made up of 13 young locals with a passion for metal.

"The level of commitment and the quality [of the bands]...putting on an event like this, it's definitely not easy."

"I think I'm going to be working with them in the future to try and help bring some of the bands that I tour and help manage through Alice Springs."

"It seems like there's an audience here for it and it's viable," he says.

Miazma's Jackson Smith says there's no stopping them now.

"I really think that this is starting to go beyond Alice Springs," he says.

"This is real metal here, this is no little hardcore scene, this is real metal and it's coming out fast out of this town...fast and hard!"